Investigating (Acts 17)

In the second half of Acts 17 we find ourselves in the secular city of Athens. Paul left Berea due to some Jewish followers who were persecuting him (v.13-15). Once again Jews enraged over his message of salvation through Jesus Christ followed him from city to city stirring up trouble. Tightening up his sandals, Paul is sent by the wise Bereans to the city of Athens to wait for Silas and Timothy.

In Athens, Paul encounters a city chalked full of idols. They were everywhere! The Athenians even went so far as to erect an altar to and UNKNOWN GOD (v.23) just to be sure they had all their bases covered. These people were serious about idol worship. He also runs into strong intellectuals who do nothing but talk about and listen to new ideas (v.21). Did these people have jobs? Imagine the intimidation factor here in trying to tell these people about Jesus the Christ? Paul doesn’t seem too nervy by this (obviously this is the power of the Holy Spirit working in his life). He squares off with them and tells them the Good News. The results? A few became followers (v.34).

One treasure I came across here was Paul’s investigation of Athens. Check out verses 16 and 23:

16 "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols."

23 "For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."

He talks about “looking carefully” at their objects of worship. Basically, he did some investigation work prior to speaking and preaching to them. I find this so interesting because in our day and age it seems we (the Church) seldom know what others are really worshipping (by worship I mean – what they spend their time thinking about, the thing that raises their heartbeat and blood pressure, the thing that tries to fill their heart, and the thing they really love and admire). We tend to shy away and dismiss it as garbage that we should have nothing to do with. But the problem is some people are perishing because they embrace this “garbage” as truth. Then they come to us with questions about it and we are completely ignorant and unable to connect what they see as truth to God’s Truth. It’s essential that we connect God’s Truth to them. This is what Paul did in Athens. Their UNKNOWN GOD was about to be explained to them (v.23).

Imagine the scene if Paul didn’t investigate Athens? How well would he have been able to relate God’s Word to them? Do we take time (like Paul) to investigate what those around us are worshipping? Do we spend time researching their religious beliefs? This couldn’t be more relevant with the upcoming release of the DaVinci Code movie. Are we ready to answer the world’s questions after they see the DaVinci Code? Some will and have embraced this as truth. Have we researched it? Have we read the book?

I thought I would list some practical “investigation” steps to help us out. If you can think of any more I haven’t listed let me know. I’ll list them on here for you.

1. Get into the Word. Some good books dealing with false teachings are: Galatians, 1 Timothy, 2 Peter, and 1 John. Also, I encourage you to dig into the Gospels to check out our Savior’s own words over such matters.

2. Pray. God’s Spirit guides us into all Truth the Scriptures say (John 16:13). Ask Him to do that with your research. Ask Him to filter what you see and read to ensure you don’t get suckered into it.

3. Do some research on the internet. This is free! Some good sites to use that offer information and have links to other sites with information over false teachings are: Christianity today and Blue Letter Bible (Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons).

4. Check our your Christian bookstore. Most offer a plethora of books dealing with and addressing false teachings. Right now you can find numerous books on the DaVinci Code. Some are even discounted due to how many are available.

5. Ask your local pastor for help. He/She is smart, educated, and spent thousands of dollars on a degree (from a Christian school) that he/she would love to put to use! He/She might even have some books you could borrow to save money (just be sure to return them). She/He will point you into the right direction for help with such issues.

I encourage you to be informed. Ignorance isn’t an eligible excuse in our day and age. We are surrounded by information. Don’t let the Enemy keep you from learning about his ways because he sure knows about our ways. If you have any other helpful information let me know and I’ll be sure to add it to this post. Thanks and may God through the Holy Spirit prepare us for service to Him.

Checking it with Scripture (Acts 17)

I’m rather happy over all the fuss about the upcoming film The DaVinci Code and the re-discovery of the Gospel of Judas. Why? One reason is that it makes us Christians really examine our beliefs. We go over all the basics to make sure we know why we believe what we believe. We get into God’s Word more to ensure we can explain our beliefs from Scripture. It also has outsiders (non-believers) and idle Christians (non-believers?) interested in the Bible and what it really has to say. What an opportunity for the Church to respond in love and Truth!

In Acts 17:10-15 Paul preaches the Good News in Berea. Luke describes the Bereans as possessing noble character (v. 11). They listened intently to what Paul had to say and they checked his message (Greek = Anakrino; to investigate or examine) with their Bible (which would have been just the Old Testament) to see if it checked out. And as a result of the message being true many Jews, prominent Greek women, and men believed.

What an example they set for us today. When we come across absurd ideas or a supposedly “new” gospel that is going to change Christianity forever (ha!), we should be like the Bereans. We should check what’s being taught with the Scriptures. If it’s not of God, He will tell us through His Spirit and Word. I’m thankful for Luke’s account of the Bereans and how they responded to Paul’s message.

- Any thoughts?
- Do you methodically check every new strange idea that comes out with the Scriptures to see if they're true or not?
- Do you think it could ever be possible for Christians worldwide to be duped into believing a strange new idea? Why or why not?

Prayer (Acts 16)

Prayer plays a vital role in Acts 16. I notice each time Paul and his companions are headed to a place of prayer or praying, something supernatural occurs. Whether it is someone accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, deliverance from a demonic spirit, or a prison break including an earthquake, something miraculous happens. And in each of these prayer is involved.

Check it out for yourself:
- Acts 16:13
- Acts 16:16
- Acts 16:25

In v.13 Paul and his companions meet Lydia and her heart is opened to accepting Jesus Christ. I like the setting; outside the city gate and down by the river. (I love rivers!) If prayer wasn’t such a significant part of the disciple’s lives, they might have missed the opportunity to present Jesus Christ to Lydia. This all happened as they were headed to a place of prayer. Think about that. God opened doors for the disciples to speak of Him and He opened the heart of Lydia and her household to receive Him. A beautiful picture of God using prayer to transform lives!

In v.16 Paul and company meet a slave girl who is demon possessed. She, with the help of this demon, has the ability to fortune tell. (There are such things as fortunetellers.) Apparently the demon inside her knows what is living inside of Paul (Holy Spirit). In sort of a comical scene, she follows them around for several days announcing to everyone who they are and what they offer (v.17-18). If you have a hard time seeing this as bothersome, imagine someone following you around for three days announcing to everyone who you are and what you do. In the name of Jesus Christ Paul commands (Greek = paraggello) the spirit to leave the girl. It does and she is free.

In v.25 Paul and Silas find themselves in jail praying and singing hymns. They ended up here as a result of Paul commanding the spirit to come out of the demon possessed slave girl (v.19). This led to false accusations, a flogging, and imprisonment. Not a happy way to end the day. Despite the fact that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens (v.37) and eligible for a fair trial, they took the beating and remained focused on God. As they are praying and singing in jail a violent earthquake shakes the entire place. All the prison doors fly open and everyone’s chains fall off. (Powerful symbolism for what God can do in us when we accept Him!) To avoid execution from the Roman government for allowing the prisoners to escape, the guard draws his sword to kill himself. But, before he can thrust the sword into his flesh, Paul shouts out to him. Strangely, no one has escaped and it appears no one wants to. The guard is moved to accepting Jesus Christ (he and his whole family).

Look at the role of prayer in Acts 16. Paul and his missionary companions are either on their way to do it or doing it when something miraculous happens. This makes me want to evaluate how much time I spend praying. How often am I headed to a place of prayer when God intervenes and someone’s life is changed forever? I’m embarrassed to answer that question. What an inspiring chapter in the book of Acts on prayer. Time to get you thinking about prayer.

- How important is prayer to you?
- How important should prayer be to the Church?
- What percent of your time during the week is spent praying?
- Can a lost person be saved and come to Jesus without someone first praying for them?
- Any other thoughts you would like to share on prayer?

No! You can't preach Jesus! (Acts 16)

Acts 16 whisks us away with Paul and his companions on a second missionary journey. An immense journey taking them into Macedonia. (Modern day Greece. Where the disciples end up (Philippi) is located slightly to the southwest of kavala.) Paul recruits a young man by the named of Timothy to help out and he teaches him the ropes of spreading the Gospel (he’s discipling him). The author of Acts (Luke) also joins them (v. 10). But, something rather bizarre happens at the beginning of their journey. They are told by the Holy Spirit to not preach the word (v. 6-8).

What? Don’t tell someone about Jesus the Christ! Don’t tell someone about the life He offers! Don’t tell someone about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Don’t tell someone about eternity in Heaven! I admit I read this passage slightly perturbed and confused. I thought we were supposed to preach and tell others about Jesus. You could go anywhere and do anything as long as you were intent on preaching Jesus Christ to others. And now I’m reading in God’s Word that the Holy Spirit told Paul not to preach Jesus to a certain group of people. Do you find this confusing?

This passage weighs heavy on people with the mentality that says, “I can do whatever and go wherever I want as long as I’m willing to tell others about Jesus.” This chapter in Acts is an in your face reminder that the Holy Spirit is our guide.

Listen to the words of Jesus: 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13)

What does a guide do? I do a lot of fishing. I have one of the greatest fishing guides ever and if it weren’t for him, I would be clueless at fishing. (Thanks dad!) He knows when and where the fish will be. He knows what baits to use and not to use. He knows the best times. He knows the best spots. He knows the rivers and how to navigate them successfully without tearing a hole in the boat. He has experience and he shares that with whom he guides. I’m better off because of him. A guide makes us better.

I use this example to illustrate how the Holy Spirit guides us. He leads us, makes us aware of things we might not normally see, and he keeps us on his intended path. And He really is a know it all! John 16:13 gives ample proof that we are to be followers of God. We don’t pave the way and ask God to follow us. We’re supposed to do the opposite. So, for any of you do-it -yourselfers out there who think God will just get on board with your plans, think again (and read Acts 16). He has asked us to follow Him. We may not fully understand the specifics of His ways and why He does what He does, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be a follower of Him. God wants people who are willing to be used and led by Him. I hesitate to write that because we see “being used” as purely negative in our culture. But, God uses us for good. He uses us to build His Kingdom.

Look at the good things that occurred as a result of God changing Paul’s plans and Paul letting God use him:
- Lydia, a wealthy dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira accepts Jesus Christ. She and her household were baptized. (v.13-15)
- A demon possessed slave girl was freed from the demon possessing her. (v. 16-18)
- Prisoners hear and witness the awesome power of God. (v.25-28)
- A jailer and his household accept Jesus Christ. (v. 29-33)

And to think, all of this happened as a result of these early disciples yielding to God’s leading. Followers led by a Guide (Holy Spirit). The above action takes place in the Roman city of Philippi. A major trade center between the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. The Church at Philippi was a strong Church. Paul writes a letter to them (the book of Philippians) calling them saints and commending them in their hard labor for the spread of the Gospel (Philippians 1:1-8). God uses us for good.

Any thoughts on this?
Does this remind you of any experiences you’ve had with the Holy Spirit?
What do you think about God using us?
What do you think the world thinks about God using us?
*Out of my own curiosity: Why do you think Paul and his companions were kept from preaching in Asia and Bithynia?

Grace & The Wild Man

We took a break from studying Acts last night in youth group (had a topical lesson). So, I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you a story about God’s transforming grace. It involves a close friend (the wild man) and God’s way of transforming him (His grace & Holy Spirit). I’ll let you listen to his words as he shares his testimony.

“Hello everyone. For those who don't know me I am an old childhood friend of Tim (And can provide many embarrassing stories). I've recently come to the family of God these past two weeks, and the changes have been profound. Although he had been calling me for years I used every fiber of my being to resist him. My mission was to have fun and Christians don't have fun following all of those rules right? However, many signs were sent to me that couldn't be ignored which ultimately changed my life forever. Everything is so much sweeter through him, and life has definitely been more fun. A small army that has been praying for me the past 27 years supported this. I emphasize this point for those of you who have been praying for something you feel will never happen. The first major lesson I have learned is that I am on his schedule, he is not following mine. The second lesson is that I never want to lose this feeling. How many of us fall in routines in our daily lives, and it is so easy to make worship a routine. Reflect upon those first few weeks you became a Christian. It feels like a fireball is going to jump out of you because you want to tell the world about your newfound experiences with God. I already know that it's going to keep getting better, and I am anxious to see what he has in store for me.”
- Todd Spangler

So, for any doubters or skeptics out there, watch out. BEWARE OF GOD! Be very cautious, because you never know when or where you might encounter the living God. He has invaded our planet and is seeking us out. And He has the power to transform anyone; no one is out of reach for Him.

Conflicting ideas (Acts 15)

Acts 15:36-41 contains another awkward moment (there’s a lot of those in the Bible). It’s kind of uncomfortable having it in our Bible. Paul and Barnabas, both of which are godly Spirit filled men, have a fall out. Barnabas wants his relative Mark to go along on a strengthening trip with Paul. Paul objects on the grounds that John Mark earlier deserted them (Acts 13:13). Then, something rather odd happens. Paul and Barnabas have a “sharp disagreement.”

The Greek word used here for “sharp disagreement” is the word paroxysmos. Simply put, it means a heated discussion. So heated in fact, it led to Paul and Barnabas splitting ways (v. 39). Two Christian men who disagree over something so strongly that it caused them to split ways. Does this whole situation or conflict between these two unnerve you a little? It does me. But, like I said last week, I hate conflict!

For kicks and giggles: I found a great quote that goes along with this, written by Phillip Melanchthon.

“In essentials unity. In non-essentials liberty. In all things charity.”

Just some simple questions to throw at you this week:

- Do you think this “sharp disagreement” should have even come up?
- Who do you think was right in this argument?
- Who would you have sided with in this argument?
- Paul or Barnabas?
- Why?

*Side note: This may make you feel a little better about this whole situation. It seems this “sharp disagreement” wasn’t the death of Paul, Barnabas, and Mark’s friendship. Check out these verses where Paul mentions them: 1 Corinthians 9:6, 2 Timothy 4:11, Colossian 4:10.

Conflict (Acts 15)

I hate conflict and I have no problem admitting it. (Although I do enjoy watching it unfold in the lives of other people. I know, I’m sick.) Why is it that we can watch talk shows, reality shows, and any other type of media piece and get excited because something conflicting happens? Another confession: I think reality shows are boring unless there happens to be a fight (conflict) of some sorts taking place. There’s irony in all this (and maybe a seed of selfishness) because when conflict enters my own personal space I become livid and wish it were never there.

Acts 15 (Click to read) is one of those passages in our Bible that makes you scratch your head and speculate. “What was Luke thinking putting this here?” or “Why did God allow this to be placed in His Word?” Like the whole David and Bathsheeba story, truth is on display. If this portion of scripture never appeared, we might not have known how a Christian is to work things out when he is in disagreement with another Christian. Or how to handle conflict within our churches. We also see in this chapter of Acts that Christians can disagree with one another and work the conflict out. This passage also shows God at work in the hearts and minds of those who love Him (See Acts 15:28).

Here’s what I observed from this passage on dealing with conflict:

1. The issue was addressed and dealt with. (v. 2) Paul and Barnabas never denied the severity of the problem. But, more importantly, they never denied dealing with it. A lesson to be learned by all of us. When conflict arises deal with it! Especially conflict within the your church. Don’t shrug it off and hope for it to disappear, because it could cause rotting. For Paul and Barnabas, this meant going straight to the source (Jerusalem) of where the issue arose. They didn’t hesitate or wait around for it to just go away, they acted as if it were their main concern for the moment.

2. A solution was offered. (v. 19-21) Trouble was brewing for the Gentile Christians. Imagine hearing from your pastor that in order for you to continue being a Christian, you have to slice off a chunk of flesh from your body? And if you don’t, you’re going to be cast out of the church. If there were no solution to this and Sunday after Sunday you heard it, what would you think? You were just told by someone else that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10:13). Now, something else has been added to that! You’ve been duped! Thank God the elders and apostles came up with a solution to the problem together. (See Acts 15:24-29)

Questions to consider:
- What are some ways you deal with conflict?
- How does that measure up with Acts 15?

Revival (Dr. Tom Hermiz)

No youth group last night. Our church was in a 4-day revival with Dr. Tom Hermiz (excellent preacher of God’s Word!). So, I thought I would share a little on that this week. Feel free to share your thoughts on it too.

Psalm 80:18b reads, “revive us, and we will call on your name.” Our church tasted revival this week. It was a magnificent time! It was a very sweet tasting meal for me personally. God brought me to my knees in a full surrender to Him. What a wonderful scary moment that was!

Revival is a much-needed event for the soul and Body of Christ (Church). In the words of one of our former evangelist, “It’s the nature of a fire to go out.” I notice this happens often after revival ends and the nitty gritty of life smacks us in the face. Our blazing fires dwindle down to a flicker (if it doesn’t go out completely) amongst the world. But, what if something is different this time? What if the fire doesn’t dwindle or go out but grows bigger?

PARENTAL ADVISROY
THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS GRAPHIC TRUTH
THAT MAY BE FRIGHTENING TO SOME.

What if in our search for God, we have actually discovered Him? We’ve discovered the God of the universe, the Divine Being who created everything, stars, planets, space, time, animals, oxygen, humans, and life. Is He not big enough to keep your fire burning? Before you answer skeptically consider our sun. Its been burning for at least 5,000 years (sustained by God). I believe God loves us more than that gigantic fireball in the sky. So much more that He would give us a helper (the Holy Spirit) to guide us, empower us, and help us to love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and, to love our neighbor as ourselves. He (this is scary) lives within us as the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Below are some practical tips I’ve received over the years and things I believe the Holy Spirit has taught me to help the revival fire continue to burn in my heart. Take them for what they’re worth. If you have any others be sure to let everyone else know about them.

Post-revival advice:

- Stay involved in Church. Make attending Church a priority in your life. No matter the cost, be there. Maybe you need to make some adjustments in your work schedule, don’t hesitate but do what needs to be done to ensure you can attend. I think there’s a direct connection between fires dwindling in our hearts and how involved we are with Church. Look at what happened because you attended church for revival. Maybe you only made it 1-2 nights, but evaluate how it made you feel and the change that took place because you were there.

- Stay involved in God’s Word. Do not let your Bible collect dust. Open it up and read it. Even if you don’t understand fully what you are reading…read it! I believe things happen when we read God’s Word with a desire to know Him better. Things I can’t explain logically. Things like, the Word entering our lives and sticking to our hearts, sticking in our minds, reminding us of our hope in Jesus Christ, and giving us a godly zeal for holiness. Remember what Jesus said about the Word of God? “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

- Stay involved with the Truth. Just because you don’t feel like you did when revival was happening doesn’t mean the fire has gone out. A lot of us base faith on our feelings. So, naturally we’re up and down and all over the map spiritually. Why? Because that’s what our feelings do. But, I challenge you to trust in the facts. Trust in God’s Word. Base faith on the Rock. And I’m talking about Jesus Christ! What does He tell you? Does He suggest that because you don’t feel like a Christian that you aren’t? No! Does He suggest that because you don’t feel happy that you aren’t in love and sold out to Him? No! Does He suggest that because you don’t fully understand terminology like sanctification, progressive sanctification, and entire sanctification that it hasn’t occurred or is occurring in your life? No! He does say, “Whoever believes in me will not perish but have eternal life.” That’s Truth!

(Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 for another dose of absolute Truth!)

Once again I don’t claim this list to be comprehensive and I know there are a million more ways and things to do to keep the revival fire burning in our hearts. Maybe some of you would testify to your revival experience(s). Thanks for reading and I encourage you to support your local church with your time, talents, and money.

Ideas for Discipling (Acts 14)

We had a wonderful District Midwinter Retreat 4 weeks ago! The theme was taken right from the pages of the Bible. “Follow the Leader” based on Luke 9:23. “If anyone would come after me, he should deny him/herself and take up his/her cross daily and follow me.” We looked closely at discipleship and what it truly means to be following Christ. Kevin beautifully delivered the hard to hear message of discipleship, discipleship that stems from a thriving and fresh relationship with Jesus the Christ.

Acts 14 gives a little information on how Paul and Barnabas discipled the early Christians. In v. 22, Luke uses the word strengthening to describe one of their actions. In Greek the word is episterizo. A verb meaning: to confirm more, strengthen more, and establish more in the faith. Which got me thinking…what are we doing to confirm each other more in the faith, to strengthen each other more in the faith, and establish each other more in the faith? So, I brainstormed 20 ideas you can use to get involved in doing such a task.

Ideas on ways to disciple yourself and one another:

1. Find an accountability partner of the same sex. One whom you can meet with regularly to confess sins, struggles, and pray with.
2. Start a small group of accountability partners to meet with regularly. Like a guy’s or girl’s accountability group. Keep these groups the same sex as yourself (makes sharing personal things a little more comfortable). Plan out the specifics of what you will discuss each week and keep focus on that.
3. Ask someone to be your weekly prayer partner. Meet each week outside of church to pray for one another.
4. Start a weekly prayer group to meet at church. Spend time praying for one another, your youth group, your local church, and God’s Church around the world.
5. Ask your pastor if he has any discipleship materials for you to use. If he doesn’t, he’ll love finding you something!
6. Start a Bible study outside of church. Maybe before or after school.
7. Use the Lectio Divina Bible study series from the Beacon Hill Press and Wesleyan Publishing House.
8. Use the Life Change Series of Bible studies for in depth studies of individual books of the Bible.
9. After you finish going through a particular Bible study, ask someone else if they would be interested in having you take them through it.
10. Memorize portions of Scripture such as a Psalm, Beatitudes, and other favorite verses.
11. Buy a set of 5’ x 7’ index cards and write your favorite Bible verses on them and post them in places you frequent and see a lot of. (e.g. Car, bathroom, dresser, locker, notebook, kitchen, microwave, bedroom, mirror, friend’s back, TV, radio, and any other place you visit a lot.)
12. Attend church regularly. Essential to being a disciple.
13. Get involved in helping out at your local church. Ask your pastor(s) for ways you can serve others through the ministries of the church.
14. Ask a friend to join you in reading through a particular book of the Bible. (e.g. John, Acts, Galatians, etc.)
15. Find a special place around town or in your house where you can go to be alone. Spend this time in prayer.
16. Use this same special place to meditate on portions of Scripture.
17. Find a good book on the spiritual disciplines and read it with a friend (e.g., Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster, With Unveiled Faces by Keith Drury).
18. Attend Sunday school regularly.
19. Bring a notepad and your Bible with you to every church service. This way you can follow along and keep notes on the sermons or lessons being taught.
20. Carry your Bible, journal, and notebook everywhere you go. This way if you ever have to wait or have nothing to do, you can pull it out and start reading and writing about what you read.

I’m sure there are a million more ideas on ways to disciple yourself and others. This is just a quick brainstorm I had. If you have any others please suggest them! Any suggestions, comments, new ideas, are more than welcomed! Thanks and I hope this helps someone!

Taming the Tongue (James 3)

Taming the tongue. A statement like that conjures up many images. Maybe it brings to mind something horrible you heard someone saying in the hallways of school. Maybe it reminds you of a time in which you said something you later regretted. Whatever it is, James reminds us it is no small task to tame one’s tongue. And I think we see that in a day-to-day basis in our encounters with people.

TV shows (whether news or sitcoms) are chalked full of boldfaced people who say whatever comes to their mind. Might I even dare say…we enjoy that kind of entertainment? What’s better than watching two people duke it out with words? (Oh I know, two people duking it out with their fists!) Imagine what would be said of the Hollywood star that never retorted back at someone who intentionally belittled them with words? They would be laughed at for not responding. They would be laughed at for taming their tongue. They would be laughed at for obeying the Word of God.

On a more personal level, I find it hard to not snap back at someone who lashes out at me verbally (even if I don’t verbally assault them, I do it in my mind). But in studying James, I’ve been convicted (by the Holy Spirit). This has led to a discovery in my life of two things.

1. I can’t control my tongue. There are too many occasions where I say something only to regret it an hour later. I look at the situations I face and easily see I don’t measure up to what God desires. Case and point: Jesus Christ. What a knock on the head when we see God Himself taking insults, beatings, and being spit upon by His creation and He never once retaliates physically or verbally (see Mark 15:15,29,31, Matt 27:30). It would have angered me and surely I would have said or done something, it broke His heart and He remained silent. This brings out a noticeable difference between Jesus the Christ and myself (not that it would have been hard to find any in the first place), He can control His tongue, and I can’t.

2. I need help in controlling my tongue. Who will come to our aid in such a devastating situation? For us Christians, it is not who will come, but Who is already there. The Holy Spirit living inside all believers (Ephesians 1:13) will give us strength to hold our tongues. What do we need to do? Surrender (and sometimes it is very hard) our will and what we want to do to Him. In turn, our will is replaced with God’s will. I challenge you to do that this week. When someone rips into you verbally, pause for a moment, remain silent, and surrender any inclination to strike back to God. Do it and see what happens. I double dog dare you!


Practical Advice for taming the tongue

1) Think before you speak. You don’t have to instantly snap back at someone when they say something harsh to you.
2) If you don’t have anything nice to say, say nothing. It is better to walk away from a situation saying nothing then to add to it. (Check out Ephesians 4:29)
3) Begin each day with a simple prayer: God help me to watch what I say to others.
4) If you hear something negative being said about someone, walk away. If your friends ask you why you did that, tell them you don’t want to be a part of unwholesome talk. (Ephesians 4:29)
5) Practice the spiritual discipline of silence. Try going a whole day without saying a word. Try only listening.
6) If you have something unwholesome, negative, or bad to say about someone, tell God first. Try going to God with everything, even your thoughts. Do this before talking to someone else. Live by the principle: Everything I say or write I’m able to share with God first.
7) Remember that you will have to give an account on Judgment day for every careless word you speak. (Matthew 12:36) So, no matter what you say or where you say it (even if it’s a harsh comment said anonymously on the internet), you will be held accountable.If you do or have messed up with words, go to the person and apologize. Even if they don’t forgive you (sometimes it may be hard for a person to forgive you), God will.

Your thoughts on the issue of taming the tongue?
Any other practical advice you could offer?

Discipling New Christians (Acts 14)

We started Acts 14 last night in youth group and didn’t get through the whole chapter. So, here are some observations on something we started to talk about and will continue next week.

Acts 14 gives us some practical advice on what to do with new Christians. Paul and Barnabas, on their first missionary journey to the region of Galatia won (with the help of God of course!) many converts to Christianity. But, they also encountered resistance in these cities. I’m talking about resistance that led to Paul being dragged out of one city and stoned (v.19). However, despite impending trouble, Paul and Barnabas made trips back to these very cities to disciple new believers (v.21-22).

So, what does the Paul and Barnabas model of discipleship look like?

1. They strengthened and encouraged the disciples to remain true to the faith, Acts 14:21-22. What all does this involve? Looking at Paul’s sermons one could guess he elaborated on Jesus. Maybe focusing on who He was (God’s Son, God, Savior), why He came and had to die (forgiveness of sins and salvation to all who believe, even Gentiles), His resurrection (what that personally meant to Paul since he encountered the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus, what that meant for the Gentiles, and how that is the driving force behind Christianity). I’m sure Paul and Barnabas nailed all the corners down on the basics of Christianity.

2. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust, Acts 14:23-24. It wasn’t enough to just have new Christians. Paul and Barnabas needed leaders to lead this new congregation. Paul may have charged these leaders with the task of preaching and teaching God’s truth. Whatever it was the fact remains that leaders were appointed. And it seems this was no light task because prayer and fasting were involved. So, we have in the Paul and Barnabas model of discipleship two key components:
1. Strengthening and encouraging disciples to remain true to the faith. (Teaching correct doctrine and beliefs about Christianity.)
2. Appointing elders. (Passing leadership on to someone else in the Church.)

Your thoughts?

The Dead Disiciple (Acts 9)

In youth group we just finished studying Acts 13 this week. So, I want to backtrack just a little and talk about something we looked at a few weeks ago. It happened in Acts 9.

Located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea is Jerusalem’s seaport city Joppa. Not much going on here. A death just took place, a disciple by the name of Tabitha, a woman who enjoyed making clothes, doing good things for others, and helping the poor. Her death saddened those closest to her and a time of mourning was in place. Gloomy times for Joppa. But, a splinter of hope was rising amongst the disciples in Joppa. Word has it that there’s a man nearby with the ability to bring her back to life. Who is it? Long time disciple and follower of Jesus, Peter. (Acts 9:36-38)

The disciples send for this man named Peter. He hears their predicament and eagerness for help. Knowing what it’s like to lose someone, he travels to Joppa. He’s greeted with tears and hugs and taken to the upstairs room where Tabitha laid washed and waiting for burial. Friends, family, and widows have paid their respects. A handful of widows still remain with her in the room weeping. Peter feels the heartache of those around him and asks them to leave the room. Some think he’s just going to pay his respects and pray over her. A few minutes go by and suddenly the door opens, Peter reappears aglow with a smile on his face, Tabitha is standing by his side. She’s been given the breath of life again; she’s alive! (Acts 9:39-43)

Before Pentecost (Event in which disciples were given Holy Spirit. See Acts 2 for the whole story), Peter couldn’t have done something like this. But, after the outpouring of the third Person of the Trinity (Holy Spirit), Peter’s life was changed. He had received the same Spirit flowing eternally back and forth between the first Person of the Trinity (The Father) and second Person (Jesus). The Spirit is life because the Spirit is God. Three distinct Persons (Father, Son, and Spirit) who make up our One great God (think too hard about it and it hurts, at least for me). And Peter, by faith in Jesus Christ was welcomed into the Trinity, not to be made or turned into a god, but to become like God.

I read this short story in Acts 9:36-43 and my curiosity is peaked. To think of Peter bringing someone back from the dead seems absurd! Healing a cripple is plausible, but bringing a dead person back to life? But, why should it surprise me? Those of us who have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead are given a deposit. Ephesians 1:13 reminds us of what that deposit is: The Holy Spirit. So, I shouldn’t be surprised at God’s ability to work through Peter in the Person of the Holy Spirit to raise the dead. This wasn’t the first time God raised someone from the dead.
- What do you think of this story?
- Do you find it hard to believe? Peter bringing someone back to life?
- Have you ever heard of this happening today?

*Side note: After raising Tabitha from the dead look at what happens in Joppa. The event grabs the attention of many people and they believe in the Lord. (Acts 9:42)

Preaching Jesus (Acts 13)

Acts 13 sweeps us away with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Their first stop is an island named Cyprus. Rich in copper, paganism, and scenery, Cyprus was a missionary’s dream stop. Upon arrival, Paul and Barnabas start preaching the Word of God (v. 5). At Paphos, a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus (Elymas) balked against their message. He didn’t like what they had to say and made sure they knew it. He apparently had some influence over the Roman proconsul on Cyprus (Sergius Paulus) because he tried preventing him from hearing the Good News (v. 8). Then Paul steps in…

Unyielding to opposition, Paul stood up to Bar-Jesus. He called him what he was (a child of the Devil) and with the help of God summoned blindness upon Bar-Jesus (v. 11). Imagine being able to blind someone because they opposed your message about Jesus? (Think of the many lawsuits that would incur if used in our day and age?) This sign from God, along with the teachings about Jesus, was enough to convince the Roman proconsul (of which Bar-Jesus was an attendant) to become a believer (v. 12). Once again, God takes an initially bad situation and turns it around and uses it for the building of His Kingdom (See article on suffering to learn more about that).

I find Paul’s stand against opposition amazing. This is just the beginning too! Acts is filled with numerous occasions where Paul stands toe to toe with unbelievers and persecutors (some so mad they wanted him dead!). And through all of this he doesn’t back down or water down his message. He keeps preaching the truth about Jesus Christ. Really we shouldn’t be surprised, the Holy Spirit enables us to take a stand for truth. That’s just one of the many activities of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Paul stood up for the message of Jesus Christ despite the reality of discord. Could you do it?

My observation from this passage is the opposition Paul and Barnabas face because of their diligence in proclaiming the Word of God. To be honest I have never faced this type of hostility for preaching Jesus. Sure, I could brush it off and say it’s because of the country we live in, but is it? Doesn’t the Bible say if we love God the world is going to hate us? Or is America excluded from that? I’ve yet to come face to face with a Bar-Jesus (an outspoken critic against the message of Jesus Christ). I wonder how I would fare amidst friction against my Christians beliefs? So, here are my questions for you to think about this week:

- Have you ever been opposed for preaching Jesus Christ? (I’m not talking about Internet discussion either, but real life stuff.)
- When’s the last time somebody intentionally disagreed with you because you proclaimed the Word of God?
- If we never come up against or experience opposition does that mean we’re not really preaching the Gospel? The true Gospel of forgiveness offered by God, through His Son, by death on a cross (who was then resurrected) for our sins? What do you think?

Suffering (continued...)

At the beginning of Acts 12 persecutions had broke out against the early Christians. If you remember from last week, James was killed and Peter imprisoned. Surprisingly though, Peter was about to be miraculously rescued from his captors. An angel of the Lord came and released him in the night (v. 7-10). Good news indeed for the disciples (so good they didn’t even believe it, v. 15). And to add to this amazing turn of events, King Herod was struck down by an angel of the Lord and the Word of God continued to increase and spread. It’s hard to believe God could use the suffering the early Church experienced at the beginning of Acts 12 to birth good.

Amazing as this might sound, God can cause good to come out of bad. He can take a hopeless situation and turn it completely around. Not fully convinced? Look at what resulted from humanity bringing evil, suffering, pain, and death into the world, God gave His One Son, Jesus Christ. And through His Son's sacrifice on a cross, He restored a broken relationship between Himself and humanity (available to all who confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead.). I want to talk this week about the ways God can pull good from bad or how He can use suffering in our life to help us become more like Him.

How God uses suffering in our lives to help us become more like Him.
One of the many things I admire about the early Christians in the book of Acts is their reaction during suffering. Luke writes in Acts 12:5 after Peter was thrown into prison that “the Church was earnestly praying for him.” They turned to God. Earlier they had faced a similar situation and knew calling out to God in prayer was their only hope (Acts 4:23-24). That right there is probably one of the greatest goods to come out of suffering, people turning to God. What an example we set for others when suffering only strengthens our relationship with Jesus Christ. Something to think about the next time hard times come around.

Another way God uses suffering in our lives is, to strengthen us spiritually. If we never suffered, like an athlete who neglected training and exercise, our spiritual lives would become weak, lazy, and never taste victory. Spiritual growth occurs when suffering pushes us beyond our human limits and we realize our finite human condition and powerlessness. Then we learn what it means to totally trust in God’s perfect sacrifice (Jesus Christ) and His empowering Holy Spirit. Again, this trails back to turning to God amidst suffering.

Scary as this is to say, I see suffering as essential to the life of every believer. In our spiritual lives suffering functions like a proof to an algebraic equation, telling the truth about our relationship with God. If we have a solid or shaky relationship with Jesus Christ, suffering will show it. Think of friendship. How do you know you have true friends? Is it because they stick with you when times are good and nothing bad is happening? No way! You call them true friends because they stick with you through thick and thin. And when something bad does happen, do you blame them? More than likely you don’t (unless they caused that something bad to happen!). You rely on them and turn to them for help. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do that with God during suffering?

So I say all of this to say, suffering, if we allow it can bring us closer to God. I have no doubts that suffering can do quite the opposite too. I’m not naïve; I know things happen sometimes (i.e. death of a loved one, murder, suicide) and there is no explanation as to why and God seems further away than ever. But, I believe we make the choice on which way we want it to lead us. Goes back to God giving us free will (right to choose). The best example given on how to respond to evil, suffering, pain, and death is found in Jesus Christ. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John and you’ll discover the author of our salvation (Jesus) was made perfect through suffering (Hebrews 2:10).

- What are your thoughts on this?
- What good do you see in suffering?
- Any experiences you would like share about suffering and how it helped
(or hurt) your relationship with God?
- Do you agree or disagree with any of this?

P.S. Next week. Something in or from Acts 13. Unless by unanimous requests you want to continue talking about suffering. Let me know.

Suffering (Acts 12)

Acts 12 opens up with a painful blow to the early Church. King Herod ruthlessly begins persecuting Christians and gains support from Jewish leaders. James is put to death by the sword and Peter thrown into prison. Troubling times no doubt. I imagine the early Christians asking each other, “Why is God allowing such bad things to happen?” Legitimate question, one I too have asked. However, the early Christians didn’t cower or run from this question, they continued to embrace God and speak justly of Him during suffering.

This week I want to begin talking about why God allows bad things to happen or why God allows evil and suffering in this world? It’s a question many ask and still seek an answer to. Some claim it as their number one reason for not believing in God. My hopes as we endeavor through this, are that we learn something new about God and how good and loving He really is towards us. He is perfect in His love towards us and He never wills us to suffer. It was never a part of His original plan for us. But nonetheless, evil and suffering exist in our world today.

Why does God allow evil and suffering in this world?
Thinking deeply about evil and suffering allows us to see that it ultimately points back to one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity, free will. Because of God’s love for Adam and Eve He created them to be completely free. In the Garden of Eden God allowed man and woman to make choices. They could choose to be obedient to Him and His one rule (not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil) or they could choose to be disobedient.

In Genesis 3 we see Adam and Eve exercising their free will. They were tempted by the Serpent and chose to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God didn’t step in and stop them because He gave them the choice. How could He have granted them total freedom if He didn’t allow them to be disobedient? And so we see it was from one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity (free will) that evil emerged. Human freedom gave birth to the evils from which suffering transpired. So we discover God permits evil, suffering, pain, and death in this life because He granted us free will.

Think about it this way, a god who feared evil would not have let it exist. But our God who is all powerful (Omnipotent), all knowing (Omniscient), and everywhere (Omnipresent) is unshakable in His sovereignty (Rule over entire Universe) even amongst evil. So firm in fact, He came to earth, lived among us, and remained the unblemished Lamb who never sinned. If God didn’t permit evil and suffering, His coming to earth, living a perfectly holy life, resisting sin, and dying for us would be meaningless. He brings hope to humanity by redeeming us to God through His blood.

So, why does God allow evil and suffering in this world? Because He gave us total and complete free will. And it couldn’t be called free will without the ability to choose freely right or wrong. And it was our wrong choices that let evil, death, suffering, and pain into our world. Now it becomes much clearer as to why humanity needs a Redeemer (Jesus). Thank you God for free will and redemption!

- So, what are your thoughts on all of this?
- Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- Why does God allow evil and suffering in this world?

P.S. Next week I’ll be back to talk about how God uses suffering to help us become more like Him.

Disciple of Courage (Acts 9)

Acts 9 contains one of the most famous conversion stories of all time (Paul). This event, monumental as it was, overshadows a man who was courageous, obedient, and a disciple of Jesus Christ. I’m talking about Ananias. Remember him? Read Acts 9:10 and you’ll be introduced to him.

“In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” (NIV)

God calls him by name and ask him to do the unthinkable. Go and pay a visit to a passionately brutal Pharisee by the name of Saul (aka Paul). So brutal, Ananias already knew him (word travels fast amongst church people). Word had spread like wildfire about this zealous sword-carrying member of the Sanhedrin. He desired one thing: Permission to throw anyone belonging to the Way (Lord’s Disciples) in prison. (Acts 9:2)

Yet, despite everything Ananias heard and thought about Saul he obeyed God. Don’t toss his story out so quickly. This is big! Here’s a disciple asked to disciple one of Christianity’s greatest theologians, only to fade away into obscurity ten verses later. What an example Ananias leaves us. Ananias had no idea Paul would co-author with the Holy Spirit some of the most inspiring books of our Bible. Romans, I & II Corinthians, and the Epistles. Ananias had no idea Paul would even accept him. God gave him no promise that his life would be spared. Yet, he was obedient.

It cuts straight to the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Christ, obedience to God’s Word and a willingness to lay down our life for others. Here are my questions to you:
- Would you be willing to trust in God’s Word only? Despite your feelings?
- Would you be willing to obey God if it meant making someone else better than you?
- Would you be willing to obey God if it meant fading away to never be heard of again?